The Book of Joshua

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- Kapitel 21 -

(Numbers 35:1–8; 1 Chronicles 6:54–81)

The leaders of the clans of the Levites came to Shiloh to speak with Eleazar the priest, Joshua son of Nun, and the heads of the clans of the people of Israel.

They said to them, “Yahweh commanded Moses that you should give us cities where we can live and where we can have pasture for our animals.”

So the Israelite leaders obeyed this command from Yahweh. They gave cities and pasturelands to the tribe of Levi out of their own lands that had been assigned to them.

First Israelite leaders cast lots to assign some cities to the descendants of Kohath. These were clans that were the descendants of Aaron. They assigned thirteen cities in areas that the tribes of Judah, Simeon, and Benjamin possessed.

To the other clans descended from Kohath, Israelite leaders assigned ten cities in areas that the tribes of Ephraim and Dan possessed, as well as the part of the tribe of Manasseh that lives on the west side of the Jordan River.

To the people in the clans descended from Gershon, Israelite leaders assigned thirteen cities the areas that the tribes of Issachar, Asher, and Naphtali possessed, as well as the half tribe of Manasseh in region of Bashan.

To the people in the clans descended from Merari, the Israelite leaders assigned twelve cities in areas that the tribes of Reuben, Gad, and Zebulun possessed.

In this way, the Israelite leaders gave cities and pasturelands to the tribe of Levi, just as Yahweh had commanded Moses that they should do.

These are the names of the cities and surrounding pasturelands that the Israelite leaders assigned to the tribe of Levi in areas where the tribes of Judah and Simeon lived.

First, the Israelite leaders assigned cities to certain clans descended from Kohath, the clans of Aaron’s descendants, those in the tribe of Levi who served as priests. The Israelite leaders cast lots first for these clans descended from Kohath.

The Israelite leaders assigned to them Kiriath Arba (which is now called Hebron), in the hill country of Judah (Arba had been the father of Anak). They also gave the pasturelands around the city.

However, the Israelite leaders had already assigned the cultivated fields and villages surrounding Kiriath Arba to Caleb son of Jephunneh.

In this way, the Israelite leaders assigned Hebron to the descendants of Aaron the priest. Hebron was one of the cities to which people could run if they accidentally killed a person. To Aaron’s descendants they also gave the cities of Libnah,

Jattir, Eshtemoa,

Holon, Debir,

Ain, Juttah, and Bethshemesh, nine cities with all their pasturelands. These cities were located in the areas that the tribes of Judah and Simeon had possessed.

The Israelite leaders also gave the descendants of Aaron some cities in the area that the tribe of Benjamin possessed: Gibeon, Geba,

Anathoth, and Almon, four cities with all their pasturelands.

Altogether there were thirteen cities with their surrounding pastureland that the Israelite leaders assigned to the priests, the descendants of Aaron.

The other clans descended from Kohath received four cities in the area that the tribe of Ephraim possessed.

Those cities were Shechem (which was one of the cities to which people could run if they killed someone unintentionally), Gezer,

Kibzaim, and Beth Horon, four cities with all their pasturelands.

These particular clans descended from Kohath also received four cities with their surrounding pasturelands in the area that the tribe of Dan possessed. These cities were Eltekeh, Gibbethon,

Aijalon, and Gath Rimmon, four cities with all their pasturelands.

These clans descended from Kohath also received two cities from the area that the tribe of Manasseh possessed. These cities were Taanach and Gath Rimmon, two cities with all their pasturelands.

There were ten cities in all, together with their surrounding pasturelands, that these particular clans descended from Kohath received.

The Israelite leaders also cast lots in order to assign cities and their surrounding pasturelands to the clans descended from Gershon. These clans were also descendants of Levi. So these clans received two cities from the area the tribe of Manasseh received, that is, the half of the tribe that had settled down on the east side of the Jordan River. Those cities were Golan in the region of Bashan, which was one of the cities to which people could run, and Beeshtarah, two cities with their pasturelands.

These clans also received some cities from the area that the tribe of Issachar possessed. Those cities were Kishion, Daberath,

Jarmuth, and En Gannim, four cities with their pasturelands.

These clans received some cities from the area that the tribe of Asher possessed. These cities were Mishal, Abdon,

Helkath, and Rehob, four cities with their pasturelands.

These clans received some cities from the area that the tribe of Naphtali possessed. These cities were Kedesh in the region of Galilee (one of the cities to which people could run if they killed a person unintentionally), Hammoth Dor, and Kartan, three cities with their pasturelands.

Altogether, therefore, the Gershonite received thirteen cities, together with their surrounding pasturelands.

The Israelite leaders also assigned cities to the rest of the Levites, that is, the people who belonged to the clans descended from Merari. These clans received some cities in areas that the tribe of Zebulun possessed. These cities were Jokneam, Kartah,

Dimnah, and Nahalal, four cities with their pasturelands.

The clans descended from Merari also received cities in the area that the tribe of Reuben possessed. These cities were Bezer, Jahaz,

Kedemoth, and Mephaath, four cities with their pasturelands.

The clans descended from Merari also received cities in the area that the tribe of Gad possessed. These cities were Ramoth, which was one of the cities in Gilead to which people could run if they killed a person unintentionally, and Mahanaim.

There were also the cities of Heshbon, and Jazer, four cities in all, together with their pasturelands.

In all the clans descended from Merari received twelve cities because the Israelite leaders had cast lots for them.

So the Levites received all together forty-eight cities from the areas that the other tribes of Israel possessed, as well as the pasturelands belonging to those cities.

These cities each had surrounding pastureland.

It was in this way that Yahweh assigned to the Israelite people all the land that he had promised to give to their ancestors. The Israelite people took control of these areas and settled down in them.

Just as he had promised their ancestors, Yahweh allowed them to have peace with the enemies that surrounded them. None of their enemies defeated them. Yahweh helped Israel defeat all their enemies.

Yahweh kept every promise he made to the Israelites. Every promise came true.

(Numbers 35:1–8; 1 Chronicles 6:54–81)

Then the heads of fathers’ houses of the Levites came near to Eleazar the priest, and to Joshua the son of Nun, and to the heads of fathers’ houses of the tribes of the children of Israel.

They spoke to them at Shiloh in the land of Canaan, saying, “The LORD commanded through Moses to give us cities to dwell in, with their pasture lands for our livestock.”

The children of Israel gave to the Levites out of their inheritance, according to the commandment of the LORD, these cities with their pasture lands.

The lot came out for the families of the Kohathites. The children of Aaron the priest, who were of the Levites, had thirteen cities by lot out of the tribe of Judah, out of the tribe of the Simeonites, and out of the tribe of Benjamin.

The rest of the children of Kohath had ten cities by lot out of the families of the tribe of Ephraim, out of the tribe of Dan, and out of the half-tribe of Manasseh.

The children of Gershon had thirteen cities by lot out of the families of the tribe of Issachar, out of the tribe of Asher, out of the tribe of Naphtali, and out of the half-tribe of Manasseh in Bashan.

The children of Merari according to their families had twelve cities out of the tribe of Reuben, out of the tribe of Gad, and out of the tribe of Zebulun.

The children of Israel gave these cities with their pasture lands by lot to the Levites, as the LORD commanded by Moses.

They gave out of the tribe of the children of Judah, and out of the tribe of the children of Simeon, these cities which are mentioned by name:

and they were for the children of Aaron, of the families of the Kohathites, who were of the children of Levi; for theirs was the first lot.

They gave them Kiriath Arba, named after the father of Anak (also called Hebron), in the hill country of Judah, with its pasture lands around it.

But they gave the fields of the city and its villages to Caleb the son of Jephunneh for his possession.

To the children of Aaron the priest they gave Hebron with its pasture lands, the city of refuge for the man slayer, Libnah with its pasture lands,

Jattir with its pasture lands, Eshtemoa with its pasture lands,

Holon with its pasture lands, Debir with its pasture lands,

Ain with its pasture lands, Juttah with its pasture lands, and Beth Shemesh with its pasture lands: nine cities out of those two tribes.

Out of the tribe of Benjamin, Gibeon with its pasture lands, Geba with its pasture lands,

Anathoth with its pasture lands, and Almon with its pasture lands: four cities.

All the cities of the children of Aaron, the priests, were thirteen cities with their pasture lands.

The families of the children of Kohath, the Levites, even the rest of the children of Kohath, had the cities of their lot out of the tribe of Ephraim.

They gave them Shechem with its pasture lands in the hill country of Ephraim, the city of refuge for the man slayer, and Gezer with its pasture lands,

Kibzaim with its pasture lands, and Beth Horon with its pasture lands: four cities.

Out of the tribe of Dan, Elteke with its pasture lands, Gibbethon with its pasture lands,

Aijalon with its pasture lands, Gath Rimmon with its pasture lands: four cities.

Out of the half-tribe of Manasseh, Taanach with its pasture lands, and Gath Rimmon with its pasture lands: two cities.

All the cities of the families of the rest of the children of Kohath were ten with their pasture lands.

They gave to the children of Gershon, of the families of the Levites, out of the half-tribe of Manasseh Golan in Bashan with its pasture lands, the city of refuge for the man slayer, and Be Eshterah with its pasture lands: two cities.

Out of the tribe of Issachar, Kishion with its pasture lands, Daberath with its pasture lands,

Jarmuth with its pasture lands, En Gannim with its pasture lands: four cities.

Out of the tribe of Asher, Mishal with its pasture lands, Abdon with its pasture lands,

Helkath with its pasture lands, and Rehob with its pasture lands: four cities.

Out of the tribe of Naphtali, Kedesh in Galilee with its pasture lands, the city of refuge for the man slayer, Hammothdor with its pasture lands, and Kartan with its pasture lands: three cities.

All the cities of the Gershonites according to their families were thirteen cities with their pasture lands.

To the families of the children of Merari, the rest of the Levites, out of the tribe of Zebulun, Jokneam with its pasture lands, Kartah with its pasture lands,

Dimnah with its pasture lands, and Nahalal with its pasture lands: four cities.

Out of the tribe of Reuben, Bezer with its pasture lands, Jahaz with its pasture lands,

Kedemoth with its pasture lands, and Mephaath with its pasture lands: four cities.

Out of the tribe of Gad, Ramoth in Gilead with its pasture lands, the city of refuge for the man slayer, and Mahanaim with its pasture lands,

Heshbon with its pasture lands, Jazer with its pasture lands: four cities in all.

All these were the cities of the children of Merari according to their families, even the rest of the families of the Levites. Their lot was twelve cities.

All the cities of the Levites among the possessions of the children of Israel were forty-eight cities with their pasture lands.

Each of these cities included their pasture lands around them. It was this way with all these cities.

So the LORD gave to Israel all the land which he swore to give to their fathers. They possessed it, and lived in it.

The LORD gave them rest all around, according to all that he swore to their fathers. Not a man of all their enemies stood before them. The LORD delivered all their enemies into their hand.

Nothing failed of any good thing which the LORD had spoken to the house of Israel. All came to pass.